Sworn by Blood

The old gods used to walk among us. Some still bear their noble blood. Most will never know it. Hazel can’t help what she is. Being the daughter of a love god isn’t all fun and games. She wants no part of her father’s world. Otherworld forests are full of huge, scary creatures and annoying pixie pests. And the people there are no better…they’ve never even given her a chance. She wants nothing to do with Sidhe men, either. Especially after that last time… But her effect on human men (and women, for that matter) makes a normal relationship impossible, not to mention introducing some seriously awkward situations. Ian has spent the last year on a fruitless mission to fulfill a family obligation set long, long before his time. All he’s found is trouble. Now he needs the love god’s help to see the end of this task and get back home. Until then, he’s stuck beyond the veil in the human world, while plots against his future rule thicken back in Underworld. What better way to bargain with a love god than through his daughter? But Hazel won’t be a pawn in Sidhe games. And Ian must make peace with his family’s legacy; he must do it soon. Somehow, they’ll have to work together, before time runs out. * This novel is a revamped and expanded new edition of a book that was previously published as Tribute. * Read Sworn by Blood to begin the Otherworld adventure with Hazel and Ian’s romance! ***** At times, Hazel wondered about her lifestyle choices. A long day of errands wore the glimmer straight off this supposedly human existence. Why was it that she resisted having people do mundane tasks for her? Oh, that’s right. She wanted to appear as human as possible, as often as possible. Like that worked for anyone. Thank the gods this was her last stop. Getting her oil changed wasn’t exactly Hazel’s idea of a fun chore for Friday afternoon, but the sixteen-year-old drooling over her made it nearly unbearable this time. Literally, drooling. She shot him a short-tempered look as she put on her sunglasses, the Portland sun requiring it for once, though a deep gray line of clouds already clustered along the western horizon. “Can you just finish with the car already?” He gulped. “Hey, when I’m done, do you want to go to dinner or something?” Hazel sighed and cast him a sweet smile. “You don’t want anything to do with the likes of me, kid.” He just smiled at her and nodded, his brain obviously addled. “So that’s a no. No dinner. Just finish my car. Thanks.” Confused and deflated, he shook his shaggy hair into his face so she couldn’t see his profile as he worked. He called out to his pit crew, his tone wistful and sad. Gods. Wouldn’t it be great to be normal? Crushing men wasn’t Hazel’s idea of a good time. It was just that many of them had no control over themselves when she was around. The drooling was not attractive. But they didn’t know that. They didn’t even realize how silly they looked. It was part of her draw; men tended to be totally focused on her, unable to string together more than a sentence, much less keep her entertained for a date. They were compelled to look, to touch if she’d let them, hovering over her the entire time. She’d heard she was lucky. Some Sidhe drew humans to madness, despair – even violence. They just wanted to love her.